Powerball Jackpot Soars Above $1B: What To Know In NJ

NEW JERSEY — Monday’s estimated $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot is fueling lottery ticket sales in New Jersey, after no one hit it big in Saturday’s drawing. It’s the second billion-dollar-plus Powerball prize this year.

Numbers drawn Saturday were 19, 30, 37, 44, 46 and the red Powerball of 22. The jackpot in the 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time drawing Monday is the ninth-largest lottery prize of all time. It’s the second-largest jackpot this year, and the fourth-largest jackpot in the history of the game.

A jackpot winner in Monday’s drawing may claim the full prize through annualized payments over 30 years or the cash option, which is an estimated $478.2 million. In either case, the winnings are taxable.

The odds of winning the jackpot are terrible, about 1 in 292.2 million. The odds of winning any prize are better, at 1 in 24.9.

In Saturday’s drawing, players in Indiana and North Carolina were $2 million winners. Two players in Florida and one each in Maryland, Michigan, and Pennsylvania bought tickets worth $1 million.

Powerball tickets are $2 per play. Tickets are sold in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

More than half of all proceeds from the sale of a Powerball ticket remain in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. In New Jersey, proceeds from Powerball and other lottery game bolsters the state pension fund.

Powerball numbers are drawn three times a week — at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Florida Lottery studio in Tallahassee. In New Jersey, sales of tickets cut off at 9:59 p.m. on Powerball drawing days.

Patch's national desk contributed to this report.